(Entertainment-NewsWire.com, May 27, 2014 ) Johor, Malaysia -- Sufyan is a 37-year-old singer-songwriter from Singapore living in Malaysia with an important story to tell.
It’s his own personal account of struggling with mental illness. Slowly but surely, he is finding his way out of the darkness – through his music and by helping others.
“I am a recovering patient of panic disorder with severe anxieties,” said Sufyan. “I have been unemployed and homebound for almost four years. I kept finding ways to stay positive by writing songs.
“I aspire to be an active advocate in creating mental illness awareness and minimizing stigmas, providing hope for recovering patients.”
He wants to use his music as a vehicle for creating a better understanding of mental illness. More specifically, Sufyan wants to produce an album of original songs that will help inspire others to find inner peace and recovery from psychological problems.
Sufyan is also very committed to promoting World Mental Health Day, which will be celebrated on Oct. 10. This year’s theme is “Living with Schizophrenia.”
“My goal is to complete the album and begin a publicity campaign for it prior to Oct. 10 so Mental Health Day can become a part of the promotion,” he said. “I think it’s important that people all over the world learn about mental illness,” he said.
“The more you understand, the less likely you are to stigmatize others. People with mental illness need your support, not your scorn.”
In addition to his music and mental health awareness efforts, he has been active in animal rescue, acting as a caregiver to dogs and cats that were either abandoned or abused. He has managed to place most of them in good homes.
For the album project, he needs $65,000 for musicians, backup singers, recording, mixing, mastering, CD production, distribution and marketing. To raise this capital, Supiani has launched an Indiegogo campaign that can be viewed at the Indiegogo site.
Donations of any amount are welcome. For those who contribute $1,000 or more, autographed copies of the album are available as a perk. Samples of Supiani’s music can be heard at his Reverbnation site.
“With this new CD,” said Sufyan, “I’m hoping to become an advocate for mental illness awareness, expanding the message from local to international.”
